The kids cautiously stepped forward on the canyon ledge, mindful of the sides. One wrong step and it'd be bye-bye, right quick.

"I don't get it," Jodie said, looking around. "The professor said we'd find another one of the dark gods out here, but all i see is rock and sand."

"It's got to be here somewhere," Simon replied, gripping his swords tighter. "Sir Rahzial thinks it might be the Scorpio sign, so be on the look out for a giant scorpion monster or something."

"Will do," Kip said, smashing his gloved hands together. "Let's squash us a bug."

Up ahead, down in the canyon, a sandstorm raged, churning and twisting like some time of miniature tornato. To the kids surprise, a man stood at the edge of the cliff, waving his arms like a musical conductor.

"Maybe he's seen something," Kip said, pointing.

"Yeah, hang here, I'll ask." Banishing his swords, the young coyote ran up to the man, who seemed still oblivious to their presence. He was short, almost even with Simon's shoulders, but he had long, rabbit-like ears that waved and bent in the wind. A bushy tail twitched and flicked behind the man, and the dark brown leather coat that he wore fluttered in the gale. A long green scarf ran from his neck, moving like a second tail.

"Sir? Excuse me sir?" Simon called, running up to him. The man slowly put his hands down and began to turn.

Jodie, watching from afar, gasped as the fennec's motion brought a symbol on his jacket sleeve into focus. It looked like an 'M' with a devil's tail.

"SIMON!"

Twisting suddenly, the man stared Simon directly in the eyes, ice blue ones meeting one white, one purple. As the blade bit through Simon's shoulder, fiery pain lanced through his body and he fell to the ground, screaming. Pulling the sword from the boy, the man stepped back and whipped the weapon free of blood. It bent and lashed, now looking more like a whip then a solid sword.

"I am Reva, the Desert Blade, tenth and greatest of the Gathering," he said, in a high, clear voice. "And I have been waiting for you, Knights."